The Unfortunate Happily Ever After of Sirius Potter née Black
by Nerilla
Summary: Sirius was his parents' nightmare, a fact he took great pride in – until they found a way to rob him of his rightful inheritance. Forced to undergo a gender reassignment ritual so that Regulus may take the Black Lordship, Siri is now under her parents' mercy and is desperate to find a pureblood husband before her parents can arrange her in marriage with a Death Eater (SiriusxJames)
1. Violated

**The Unfortunate Happily Ever After of Sirius Potter née Black**

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 **Sirius was his parents' nightmare, a fact he took great pride in – until they found a way to rob him of his rightful inheritance. Forced to undergo a gender reassignment ritual so that Regulus may take the Black Lordship, Siri is now under her parents' mercy and is desperate to find a pureblood husband before her parents can arrange her in marriage with a Death Eater.**

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 **Disclaimer: Harry Potter series belongs to J.K. ROWLING. Enjoy!**

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 **CHAPTER I - VIOLATED**

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 **W** alburga, contrary to her eldest son's belief, was not insane. Vicious, vindictive, and violent, yes – but definitely not insane. She was the epitome of serpentine and might as well have been the poster-girl for pureblood supremacy. She was in every way what a pureblood wife should be and the only taint to her name was the heir she produced. Her eldest was born all wrong, a walking contradiction – born in a perfect, pureblood male body (which Walburga had toiled nine months for), yet his mind was anything but. When he was young, she had worried constantly over him. Something had been off from the very start and Walburga was most definitely not unobservant.

Hogwarts seemed to have only made things worse instead of making things better, particularly because her child, her beloved first born, had been sorted into _Gryffindor_ of all places; a house full of entirely the wrong sort of people, if you could even call them people. She should count herself lucky that her son even managed to find a pureblood friend in the Potter Heir, a boy she reluctantly approved of due to his mother whom had once upon a time been a friend of Walburga's... until she got sorted into Hufflepuff. While the lad's behavior left much to be desired, his blood was impeccable. The other two companions – she did not care for their names, were anything but tolerable let alone acceptable.

By Sirius' third year she had lost all hope and instead turned towards the spare, desperate to save House Black from her eldest's intolerable leadership. Regulus was in everyway what a pureblood heir should be, the only thing that paled in comparison was his looks. This wasn't to say Regulus was ugly, for he was actually very dashing (as all Blacks were) – but Sirius could have been of vela blood with the way he appeared. By her son's fifth year, Walburga was in full panic mode – she had researched for over two years every law, policy, and plausible loophole to insure that Sirius would not be able to take over the Black Lordship, which would most definitely lead to the fall of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black.

To Walburga's despair, short of killing her own flesh and blood, there was no _legal_ way to rob a first-born son of his right to inherit the House in which he is the heir. She might have been vicious, vindictive, and violent, but Walburga Black was not going to be the murderer of her own flesh and blood. She loved him, she truly did, but she was also incredibly disappointed and concerned. Sirius had refused to renounce the Black Lordship upon request, even with the promise of fortune and freedom, choosing instead to declare that he'd "not rest until House Black was a dirty smudge in the history books". She had nearly disowned her son right there – not that that would rob him of his inheritance, it would only make him more uncontrollable.

Now, about to enter his sixth year, Sirius was only a few months away from turning of age on November 3, at that point he could begin completely dismantling House Black, particularly so while the current Lord Black, Walburga's husband, was incredibly ill with Dragon Pox. Should Orion pass, Sirius would have every right to burn Black Manor and its priceless history to the ground and donate the Black fortune to the blood traitors and mudbloods in the Order of the Phoenix. Therefore, it was with stunned relief and hope that Walburga found the peculiar solution to her problem in the _Dailey Prophet_ of all places.

 _ **Experimental Gender Reassignment Ritual is Successful in Transforming Quinta to Quintus!**_

 _Reporter and Journalist Hesper Diggory_

 _On 27 June, Quinta Flint, the only child of the current Lord and Lady Flint, underwent the first experimental trial for the newly developed Gender Reassignment Ritual. Not only was the experimental trial incredibly successful with no complications, but the Noble House of Flint now has a legitimate, male heir to inherit and continue the line. "It's a blessing, a miracle by Lady Magic herself!" said Lord Flint, tears blossoming at the corners of his eyes in relief. "My wife and I had tried for years to produce a son and heir and only miscarriage after miscarriage was the result. Edna and I had feared that we might have to resort to divorce so that I could remarry and produce an heir. My beautiful wife, she was willing to make the sacrifice, but I was not."_

 _Indeed, this journalist is happy to report that Lord and Lady Flint did not have to resort to divorce and remarriage to produce an heir, instead, they were fortunate to find out that their close family friend, Healer Orphicus Yaxley, had recently finished his research on the ground breaking Gender Reassignment Ritual. The Healer's only problem was he couldn't find a patient to undergo the first trial. "We of course jumped at the opportunity," said Lady Flint, "Not only were we able to help our close friend with his research but we'd be able to 'transfigure', for lack of a better term, our daughter to a son!"_

 _Healer Yaxley had this to say: "I had originally developed this ritual with the hope of allowing individuals to choose their desired gender, whether for fertility reasons or simply a fulfillment of gender identification. I'm overjoyed that my ritual can not only do what I originally intended it to do, but also save many pureblood lines from going extinct as my ritual has the combined affect of transforming daughters into heirs and supercharging fertility in the participants."_

 _The Ministry of Magic and Saint Mungo's Hospital has also expressed great joy for this new development, Minister Bagnold had this to say: "It is no secret that wizards and witches of pureblood descent have fertility struggles, with exception to the Weasley Clan. Year after year we have seen the pureblood populations of every country around the world exponentially decrease as fertility rates drop between generations. It's a very worrying trend. However, with this new ritual, families can be preserved in the male line and potentially infertile males can find themselves fertile females and vice versa!" Indeed, hundreds of wizards and witches across the globe have sent request to schedule gender reassignment from Healer Yaxley and Saint Mungo's Hopsital has been happy to offer a safe premises for the ritual to take place._

 _It should be noted that the ICW (International Confederation of Wizards) plan to open discussions on the regulations of this ritual at the next conference in Geneva, Switzerland, this December. Current Supreme Mugwump of the ICW, Lord Albus Dumbledore of the Ministry of Magic for the British Isles, had this to say on the matter: "While the ICW and the Ministries that make up its body are overjoyed to hear of Healer Yaxley's success, regulations must be implemented and enforced in order to maintain stable gender ratios for the continuation of magical populations across the world."_

 _Heir Quintus Flint is currently on bed rest while recovering from the magically draining ritual, but shows signs of a quick recovery, not to mention a great future for his Noble House and himself. Many pureblood families across the world have already expressed interest in arranged marriages with the newly minted heir. The Dailey Prophet congratulates House Flint and wishes them the best of luck for the future!_

It was almost too good to be true… As a female, Sirius would have no claim to anything but a dowry for a marriage of Walburga's choosing. Regulus would be Lord Black and Sirius could be married off to a proper pureblood man who would ensure she bore healthy pureblood children; many of them too if the supercharged fertility the ritual caused was true. The more Walburga thought about it, the more excited she was about the prospect. Sirius would make a beautiful daughter and wife _and_ would be easy to marry off with his current grades and unquestionable blood. Not only that, it would be an astoundingly easy plan to implement as Orion and she had full authority over all medical procedures concerning Sirius while he was still underage.

Swallowing thickly, Walburga began properly forming the plan in her head. She would have to act fast, she only had a few months to execute the plan as Sirius was almost of age and, from what the article indicated, there would be a waitlist for the ritual. Standing up suddenly from her seat at the dining table, she rushed upstairs to show the article to Orion, then she would need to send a letter to Healer Yaxley, prepare the paperwork, gather the funds… so much to do in so little time, but it would be worth it for her beloved House.

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 **S** irius was having a disturbingly peaceful summer. His parents were being unreasonable reasonable as of late, actually allowing him to skip his heir training and giving him permission to go over to James' as much as he wanted. He would have thought himself insane had it not been for the fact that his mother still lectured him about good company (she really had a bone to pick with Peter, who was actually a pureblood – just a pathetic one). Perhaps they had finally realized that their attempts to oppress him were in vane or perhaps his father's illness was preoccupying their time, regardless, Sirius wasn't going to question it.

It was now midsummer and Sirius had woken up early at his mother's request, apparently Regulus and he had to get a Dragon Pox potion again to prevent contracting it from their father. Why they had to do this again when they had done so only a few months ago was beyond Sirius' comprehension, but he hoped being agreeable would allow him to spend the upcoming Lughnasadh Festival* with the Potters instead of with the Notts as they usually did. Checking the mirror one last time, Sirius admired the blossoming scruff at the tip of his chin, fantasizing that it would become a handsome beard soon; girls digged that.

"Sirius, we need to leave!" His mother screeched from three floors down – he rolled his eyes at her shrillness, but headed down the stairs, taking two at a time and found his mother alone at the front entrance, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Where's Reg?" Sirius peered up the stairs, expecting to see his younger brother on his way down, but found the winding staircase empty and barren.

"The Healers can only see one of you today, apparently Saint Mungo's is busy. Now stop dawdling, I will not have us be late; tardiness is unbecoming of our statuses." Lady Black turned suddenly and walked out the front door – Sirius hot on her sharp heels (she wore the sharpest high-heels money could by, probably so she could stab lower life forms as she walked). When they got to the cobblestone, his mother held out her arm for him to take so that they could sidelong apparate, which he did without complaint.

Saint Mungo's, as it so happens, was anything but busy. In fact, it was practically deserted. Sirius grumbled under his breath about favoritism as his mother checked them in – of course she'd let Reg out of the appointment, spoiled little brat that he was. Reg was probably off playing Quidditch with the other slimy snakes while poor Sirius had to ingest vile tasting potions. They didn't even have to wait long for the appointment as the Healer was available, Sirius was pleased to discover that his Healer for the day was not the family one, Healer Vector was a creep to say the least – though, Sirius wondered if Healer Yaxley would be any better – the Yaxleys were a dark family, after all.

His mother led him to whatever ward he would have his appointment on, he didn't care to listen; all the wards were named after boring pureblooded Healers who either died disgusting deaths or made disgusting discoveries. White walled corridors seemed endless until his mother finally stopped in front of what he assumed was his appointment room. When they got to Room 00073177 an older man with obvious pureblood heritage as indicated by his aristocratic features met them – he was handsome though, with a nice full beard (which Sirius was just a tad bit envious of). In fact, had the guy been a few years younger Sirius may have hit on him, flirted and such. Hey, sex was sex – Sirius could care less whether it was with a boy or girl, as long as he was on top.

"Ah, Lady Black, its wonderful to meet you in person. How do you do?" The Healer asked as he bowed respectfully to kiss the knuckles of Sirius' mother.

"Fine. Now enough with the niceties, I want this done as quickly as possible." Walburga snapped, causing Sirius to raise an eyebrow – he snorted internally, she must have been on her cycle for she usually wasn't so short with respectable purebloods.

Healer Yaxley wasn't offended though, he simply nodded his acceptance, "Of course, of course, come in, come in". Sirius was directed to one of the patient beds in the empty room while his mother was given a pile of paperwork to fill out, which she completed at an astounding rate.

"How are you feeling today, Sirius?" Healer Yaxley asked conversationally as he began running a slew of diagnostic charms on him.

"Well, better than father at least. Why am I getting this potion again, I only got it a month or so ago?" He asked curiously, not really worried about contracting Dragon Pox – it was very rare for someone as young as he to contract the illness.

"Sirius! Stop bothering the Healer!" His mother snapped from her seat and Sirius wished he could send her back to the waiting room, but as an underage wizard he needed to have a parent present at all his medical procedures.

Healer Yaxley only chuckled, "No worries Lady Black, I'm just about to give Sirius the first potion – he is perfectly healthy and ready for the process to begin". Walburga nodded sharply in the corner and relaxed slightly (or as much as Walburga Virgo Black could relax, which wasn't much). Sirius refocused his attention on Healer Yaxley as the man handed him a vile of a thick, lavender liquid that had a slight shimmer to it.

Frowning, Sirius asked, "That's different than the last potion I took for Dragon Pox – did they edit the formula recently? Does it taste just as bad or worse?" The last potion had made him dry heave and Sirius wasn't fond of the idea of being sick all over a handsome older man, Healer or not.

Quirking his lips in a knowing smile, the Healer assured him that "The potion isn't too bad in terms of taste, my last patient told me that it actually reminded… him of sweat and musk, which is better than most potions." Sirius nodded, but was still apprehensive. He took the potion quickly, uncapped it, and then swung it back in one large gulp – hoping to get it over with quickly. He was pleasantly surprised to discover, however, that the potion tasted all right, not great but not as bad as the last one he was forced to take. Sirius licked the inside of his mouth in thought, in fact, he didn't think the potion tasted like sweat or musk… more like… rosewater and maybe milk?

At the thought Sirius suddenly felt a tsunami of nausea overtake him, worse than he had ever experienced before. It was so bad that he grabbed his gut and fell to his side on the bed. The movement made the nausea worse on top of making him suddenly dizzy, so dizzy the room was spinning and shaking vigorously. The Healer seemed to be saying something to him, but Sirius felt too ill to comprehend what the man could possibly be saying. He was vaguely aware of a charm being cast over him, but couldn't determine what it was as he was suddenly overcome with exhaustion – the world began to dim and darkness soon took hold…

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 **A/N: Thank you for reading the first chapter/prologue and I just wanted to address a few things: firstly, I know this is a pretty horrid concept of a mother forcing her child to undergo a surgery of any kind against their will. Unfortunately for Sirius, his mother is a horrid human being (even if she's doing what she thinks is right). Secondly, she was allowed to get away with doing so because the magical world doesn't seem to have many child protection rights (I mean really, how many times did Harry end up in the hospital wing? Neville's uncle threw him off a balcony and nearly let him drown, Umbridge got away with torture, Quidditch is ridiculously dangerous, there are MOVING staircases in Hogwarts, etc..) Therefore, I don't think it is really surprising that a parent could get away with something like this.**

 **Thirdly, Sirius will end up with James in the end, it will just take some time as I want to properly develop the story – I'm open to suggestions concerning who Walburga will try to arrange Siri with in the meantime (Keeping in mind that Lucius Malfoy and Rodolphus Lestrange are already married at this point (and no, You-Know-Who will not be used – don't be gross guys) – Rabastian Lestrange, Antonin Dolohov, and many other Death Eaters are also available – so give me some suggestions!**

 ***Lughnasadh: Midpoint between Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox - Celtic Holiday celebrating the beginning of the harvest season and the transition from summer to winter**

 **Future chapters will be longer and I plan to update soon. I hope you guys enjoyed and I appreciate any feedback, including corrections and suggestions that you may have! So please review!**


	2. Changed

**The Unfortunate Happily Ever After of Sirius Potter née Black**

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 **Sirius was his parents' nightmare, a fact he took great pride in – until they found a way to rob him of his rightful inheritance. Forced to undergo a gender reassignment ritual so that Regulus may take the Black Lordship, Siri is now under her parents' mercy and is desperate to find a pureblood husband before her parents can arrange her in marriage with a Death Eater.**

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 **Important A/N (check profile for more details):**

I would consider myself an openminded individual so if you are offended by the presence of homosexuality/transgenderism/gender fluidity/etc. I suggest you read different stories from a different author.

 **I'm not perfect. Please review if possible, constructive criticism is welcomed and compliments appreciated. Should you find any spelling and or grammatical errors, please review and note where this error is so that I may correct it ASAP. Please PM me with any questions and I will do my best to get back to you as soon as possible.**

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 **Disclaimer: Harry Potter series belongs to J.K. ROWLING. Enjoy!**

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 **CHAPTER II - CHANGED**

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 **S** irius awoke to an all-encompassing soreness that seemed hazy, as if his entire body were a yellowing old bruise that was _almost_ healed. His lidded eyes felt heavy and he struggled to even open them – as if dried sleep had sealed them shut. He regretted putting the effort into opening his eyes almost immediately as the room he found himself in was blindingly bright and he was forced to clench them shut with a low groan that sounded muffled and foreign to his ears – as if he was hearing the vibrations of his vocal cords for the very first time.

"You're up." Stated a familiar voice, to which Sirius automatically turned his head towards, squinting in the brightness to discern his brother's figure, Regulus.

"Where am I?" He croaked out, disoriented.

"Saint Mungo's Hospital." Was the crisp reply, Sirius waited for more information but his brother remained reticent; huffing in annoyance, Sirius used his forearm to prop himself up and examine his surroundings. Now adapted to the room's lighting, Sirius could see that he was tucked into sterile sheets of a hospital bed within a private room of Saint Mungo's – most likely the Icarus Ward as it was reserved for underage wizards and witches. He turned back to Reg to question him more, but was startled by the peculiar look his brother was giving him.

It wasn't a look of hostility or even contempt, as it usually was. No, this look was… it was pity. No… not quite – Sirius couldn't quite place it. There was also a strange glimmer in his brother's eyes, which resembled the swirling grey memories trapped in a pensive. The interest glimmering there… it was as if he was examining a rare specimen or reading a particularly fascinating tome. Sirius' brow crinkled at his brother's restless eyes and tensely folded hands; he was nervous.

"Reg, why am I in the hospital?" Sirius asked – startled once more by the off-tone of his voice, which was significantly higher than usual. Was he sick?

The Spare opened his mouth to speak, but shut it with a snap. He did this a few times, obviously trying to find the right words. "You recently underwent a medical procedure... you've been asleep for 3 days since. It's the 4th of August." Sirius thinned his lips at this, highly displeased. He had completely missed the midsummer festivities and had wasted 3 days of his precious summer. But there was a more pressing matter…

"I didn't contract Pox did I?" He asked, not too concerned. For the rare cases of children contracting Dragon Pox they always recovered with little to no long-term effects. It was only the elderly, such as his father, whom the incurable disease damned.

Reg once again took a long pause before finally answering, "No, you're not sick… I mean, do you not remember anything? Not even coming to the hospital?" Sirius shook his head in confusion – the last thing he remembered was… receiving a letter from James, which had invited him to spend Lughnasadh with his parents and him. Something Sirius had really wanted to do but hadn't been able to, he thought glumly.

"So what's wrong with me then?" The elder sibling asked impatiently.

Reg stared at him intensely and then evenly declared, "I shall go retrieve mother…" He stood from his seat in the corner, surprising Sirius momentarily by how much he had grown over the summer – Sirius really should pay more attention to such things, but he had been at James' for the majority of the hot months. As Reg reached the door, he paused with his hand on the knob – his back facing Sirius and his face the door. "You left them no choice, you know… this wouldn't have been needed had you only… had you only listened." With those parting words, his brother left the room.

Sirius was now a bit nervous himself; Reg implied that someone had done something to him - had he been attacked? Was he injured and is that why he was in the hospital? He had insulted plenty of Death Munchers over the years so it wasn't out of the realm of possibility that someone might seek retribution, particularly Snivellus after last year's Whomping Willow incident. Sirius quickly began carefully shifting about, trying to discern where he had been injured… maybe it was the cruciatus curse that caused such wide spread soreness…

With a sudden gasp Sirius felt an intense soreness between his legs, now legitimately fearful Sirius ripped the white sheets and blankets off his body and began disrobing – becoming increasingly panicked as he did so. It was with hyperventilating gasps and shaking hands that he finally touched his naked form – _a female form_. He hadn't noticed the breasts upon waking because they were so insignificant; an A-Cup at best, but his manhood… _was gone_. His quivering hand reached out to touch the vulva between his legs, wincing at the contact – it felt as if he had been kicked in the groin. Repeatedly.

A wretched sob suddenly ripped through his throat – this was no product of polyjuice or the like. Pain and soreness wouldn't have accompanied a potion that only inflicted a temporary effect. No, this was the real deal. Suddenly frantic to see the damage, Sirius unthinkingly scrambled out of bed, ignoring the pain and nearly falling to the floor with how weak and sore his appendages were, but he needed to know. Reaching the small mirror on the other side of the room, Sirius froze at the sight – a look of pure horror overtaking his changed features as he sunk to the floor and onto his knees, staring with disbelief at his own reflection…

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 **W** alburga cursed a slew of profanities as she ran (fast walked really, she was nearly 83, you know) to her daughter's hospital room, damning the reporters thrice over for keeping her. Of course her eldest would wake the single moment she had not been by her bedside over the course of the last three days. Thank Merlin Regulus had been there, at the very least. It was an out of breath, panting, and utterly flustered Walburga who finally reached Room 9331247, the room reserved for her daughter's recovery. By the gods that be, Walburga hadn't been so unkempt in years – damn those blood-sucking journalists!

The Lady of House Black took a moment to compose herself; using her barren hands to smooth out the stray grey-hairs that had fallen out of line from the command of her bun. Taking a few deep, rattling breaths, she finally gathered her wits and opened the hospital door without knocking – not caring much for privacy of any kind at the moment. The room was relatively undisturbed with exception to an unmade bed – a blessing for Walburga had feared that her daughter's accidental magic may have caused some damage, but it seems that the girl was still drained from the ritual.

However, it was not the room Walburga should have concerned herself over but instead the girl within its walls. In the utter silence that was encompassed by imposing whiteness, her newly minted daughter sat in front of the room's mirror as naked as the day she was born. She was statuesque with exception to the shake of her hands and the gobsmacked expression that stared aimlessly into the mirror.

Not for the first time since the ritual's completion did Walburga silently marvel at her child's changed appearance. As she had expected, Sirius had made a gorgeous daughter – more beautiful than any member of the notoriously exquisite Black line. A complexion of flawless porcelain, classic aristocratic features, and lustrous onyx locks all framed wide-almond shaped eyes of patronus-grey, which currently had streams of silent liquid despair pouring from them. This isn't to say that her child was unrecognizable than when she had been male; it was obvious to her that it was still Sirius – just the female version of Sirius.

Calmly, Walburga shut the door behind her – insuring that her daughter's decency was protected, before she approached the tearful girl, taking off her outer robe as she did so. It was in complete silence that Walburga bent to her knees and placed her black outer robe around her distraught daughter's bare shoulders. As a mother, she knew not to speak – nothing she could say would sooth the betrayal that her child must be feeling at this point. That is not to say that Walburga regretted her decision, for she did not – in fact, she thought it one of the best decisions she had ever made.

Walburga sat by her silently, not in support but in comfort, as if to kiss the cheek she had just slapped – she waited patiently, her iron-grey orbs observing her child intently. Sirius too stayed silent, taking in the reality of her new body, status, and fate. Her daughter may have been a rebellious boy once upon a time, but as an heir she had been well educated in the laws and policies that governed her. It was impossible that the magnitude of Sirius' changed position and fate were lost upon her.

As a female, she was no longer eligible to inherit the Black Lordship or any of the Black Estate – she was only entitled to a dowry, a large dowry, yes, but that was all. As a male Sirius would have been granted complete freedom from his parents upon turning seventeen, as a female Sirius would not gain said freedom until marriage or if she was disowned – an act Walburga had not intention of doing. As a female, she had no voice in whom she would be arranged to – who her husband would be and what her future would entail. Had Walburga been a hateful mother, she could have married Sirius off to anyone, including a male prostitute or an abusive tyrant of a foreign land. Contrary to her child's belief, however, Walburga was not a hateful mother.

A horrid mother, maybe.

Nevertheless, not a hateful one for she did not hate her daughter, she loved her with all her heart. Yes, her actions and words did not always indicate such, but it was for Sirius' own good. The world was a harsh and unforgiving battlefield and Walburga liked to think that her children were prepared to survive anything and everything, even Azkaban would not break their spirit and resolve. No, Sirius would be married to a proper pureblood with more than enough resources to keep her healthy and safe. Love could be learned and, even if it wasn't, love isn't everything.

Food was more important during a famine, warmth more important during a storm, medicine more important during an epidemic, and safety more important during a war. Well, Magical Britain was at war and Sirius' safety and the safety of all the members of House Black was paramount. If the sacrifice to achieving said safety and security was Sirius' freedom and happiness, so be it. Call her clinical and cruel, but three centuries from now House Black would still be standing strong, if Walburga had any say in the matter.

"Sigrid Ophelia Black" Walburga spoke suddenly – it was neither a declaration nor an address, it was simply a statement.

Her daughter stiffened, but did not look towards her mother – still staring at her reflection. Tears had long since dried on her face with no more tears left to be shed, leaving the stunning girl with red-puffy eyes. "What?" It was a question, but Walburga could tell it was hallow – her newly feminine voice lacking of any inflection.

"Sigrid Ophelia Black is your name now. Sigrid is Old Norse; it means 'beautiful and wise victory'. Ophelia after your great-grandmother on my mother's side, I chose it so your initials would be the same. I suppose you could go by Siri in close company, I've heard the Potter Heir call you such on occasion." Her daughter finally turned her way, her eyes still held the shadows of shock but Walburga could see the fire burning within her irises. Her daughter was anything but broken – she was as strong as the unyielding titanium and as beautiful as platinum, never to tarnish or corrode.

"Why?" It was just as hollow as the previous word – Walburga wondered for how long her daughter would give monosyllabic responses.

"I believe you know the answer to that, Sigrid." Her daughter crunched up her nose at the use of her new name, Walburga almost laughed at the reaction, but her calm was gone and her patience thin. "You gave us no choice; you refused to listen to reason. You call House Black prejudice but you are just as, if not more, prejudice in terms of Light Ideology. Well, as Lord Black you would have had to provide and protect the entirety of House Black whose predominant ideology is that of Dark. You were incapable of doing so, refused to voluntarily give up the position, and were generally unacceptable in terms of decorum and diplomacy. Therefore, your father and I had made the decision with our prerogative as your parents to deny you of your inheritance – the Gender Reassignment Ritual was the best way for everyone involved."

Suddenly, anger took hold – rage and upset. Sigrid whipped her head around and snarled: "Best for who!? You and father?! For Regulus?! Not for me though!"

"Be silent, girl!" Walburga snapped back, with more force than any sixteen year old was capable of matching, "It was the best plan of action not only for House Black but you yourself! I'll have you know that many a member of our House had wanted your _dead_! Your father and I were hard pressed to protect you from assassination! And your childish behavior was no help in that regards! Well, enough is enough!"

Sigrid flinched back at her words, clearly surprised by what she was hearing. Walburga, however, was far from done. "So foolish, so ignorant you are! You think yourself wronged? Well, girl, let me tell you this – I've lived the entirety of my life as a witch in House Black and there are far worse fates than being a pampered and overprotected daughter of one of the most powerful and wealthiest Houses in the world! Be grateful for the fortunate circumstance you were born into! You could have been born a mudblood child of a whore or worse! You were and still are blessed!

"You were a lucky boy! Incredibly so, your father and I gave you everything possible to succeed in this world torn by war and you spurned our efforts; spurned your own good fortune! Well now you pay the price and it isn't even a high price to pay! You're a witch, yes, but you still have two breathing parents, a brother, and a large family! You have more wealth than you could possibly know what to do with! You're getting the best education money can buy! The best healers money can buy! The best food money can buy! You're beautiful and talented and have immense potential! You'll be married off to a man who will provide for you!

"You were a lucky boy and now you're a lucky girl! For once in your life consider the collective good rather than your own individualized self-righteousness! Now shut your rebellious little mouth, get dressed this instant, and be ready to leave so that we can return home! I will have no arguments and no dawdling! Do you understand?!" Sigrid nodded slowly, her eyes no longer widened in a horrified shock, but instead with a stunned surprise. Walburga nodded her head sharply, summoned a set of proper robes for her daughter, turned swiftly on her heel, and stomped out the door – intent on getting her daughter checked out of Saint Mungo's post haste.

* * *

 **R** egulus wasn't quite sure what to make of the entire situation. He sat silently brooding at the kitchen table, twisting the Black Heir ring of jadeite and silver around his thumb. Three weeks had passed since Sirius became Siri (Regulus chose to call her Siri as Sigrid was just a horribly ugly name, one of the few things the Black siblings could agree on in regards to the whole affair).

Not only was Siri changed but the House of Black itself seemed completely changed as well. The halls were no longer plagued with silent tension, the portraits no longer whispered obscenities into the night, and (from a physical standpoint) Black Manor had never been cleaner – this being mostly due to his newly minted sister getting a female House-Elf (who was astronomically better at cleaning than Kreacher). _Why_ Siri got a new House-Elf was lost on Regulus – he had asked his father but he only got a vague response about 'female needs' that gave Regulus more questions than answers.

The Black family dynamic had also been drastically altered, least of all due to Regulus being declared the Black Heir and future Lord Black. Father's health had begun to improve (most likely due to an exponential decrease in stress and no more daily arguments with Siri) and he was now up and about more than he had been in the last five years. This fact actually didn't play into Regulus' favour for his father was now healthy enough to hound him on his studies and duties more than Regulus thought tolerable. Mother, while still uptight and generally unpleasant by nature, was much more relaxed, yelled less, and spent an inordinate amount of time with her daughter – ruthlessly trying to get Siri caught up and educated to the standards of other pureblood girls her age.

Then, of course, there were Siri's innumerable changes. Regulus had been observing his sister for the last few weeks with a sort of morbid fascination. While the physical changes were startling (particularly so when you realize you're subconsciously crushing on your sister), the behavioural changes were even more pronounced. As a female, Siri was still recognizable as Sirius from a physical point of view, but from a mental point of view it was as if he was interacting with a completely different person. When she was a male, his sibling had been brash, reckless, loud, and even crude at times, but gender reassignment had changed that.

Once a bigoted Light fanatic, Siri had simply become strong-willed in her political views – now opting to agree to disagree on such matters where she once had argued and yelled till her opponent stomped out in a huff. These behavioural changes had also translated in her interactions with the rest of the family, particularly with mother. While Siri was still a Gryffindor at heart, she had calmed down _a lot_ – less likely to explode in anger or challenge any type of authority. She obeyed mother with much more ease and acceptance than she had ever done so as a boy and for the rare times she interacted with father she was completely submissive. Due to these changes, Regulus was pleased to realize that their relationship also markedly improved – at least to the point that they no longer kicked each other's shins under the dining table.

Siri wasn't too bitter about him becoming Heir Black either, which he suspected was due to the fact that she actually _liked_ the idea of marrying into another House – if only so she was no longer part of House Black. It's not as if she had ever been particularly attached to the position, she had refused to relinquish the position mostly just to be difficult and spite their parents. Speaking of parents…

"Regulus! I told you to go get your sister ten minutes ago, dinner is about to be served!" Snapped his mother – her minuscule amount of patience already at its end. Sighing in exasperation, he nodded and began trudging his way up the helix-stairs, which extended to the seventh floor of the manor. Fortunately, the main family chambers were only on the third floor.

Reaching his sister's ebony door, he gave three solid knocks and waited for permission to enter (he learned the hard way that he could no longer just simply 'enter' when he had walked in once on her disrobing, which resulted in him developing an incestuous crush – revolting, he knows). "Come in!" As Regulus entered the room he closed the door neatly behind him, as was his habit (he hated doors simply _left_ open, pathetically lazy people did that and he was neither pathetic nor lazy, thank you very much). "Reg, I'll be out in a moment." His sister called from the bathroom where he could hear her rummaging about.

Sighing once more, Regulus spent his time waiting marvelling at the changes to the room. Shortly after arriving home from the hospital his mother had begun to literally tear apart Siri's walls (how else was she going to get rid of those revolting muggle posters of what Regulus assumed were muggle prostitutes – Siri didn't even know the counter-spells to the sticking charms she used).

Once the room had been properly gutted, the walls had been rebuilt and covered with aspen-white paneling that was engraved with various flowers that Regulus lacked the knowledge to identify. The engravings had the double effect of being decorative and preventing future decorations from being hung/stuck to the walls. All of Siri's furniture had been replaced with antique ebony, all of which had some sort of 'female flare' such as the porcelain-rose handles on the dresser or the coral-pink bedding.

This isn't to say that the room was sickeningly feminine; it was just purposely made clear that a female lived there (mostly as a not so subtle message to Siri). In fact, the room looked like it belonged to a sophisticated woman (which it didn't), what with the enchanted night-sky ceiling, the solar-system chandelier, the overflowing bookshelves, and the detailed Persian rug that lay across the polished ebony-wood floors. A lot could be said about Lady Black, but that she lacked good taste was not one of them.

Regulus was brought out of his thoughts and observations by Siri entering the room from her bathroom, which had also been redone along with the walk-in closet now stocked with female robes, shoes, and jewelry. Regulus was beginning to have the suspicion that his mother secretly had always wanted a daughter. Siri wore an expensive yet simple robe made of black acromantula-silk with a conservative high-collar and of a length that it modestly dragged against the floor. She looked very beautiful and Regulus struggled not to flush at the sight of her, he really needed to get over this childish infatuation!

"Dinner's ready I suppose?" She asked uncaringly as she walked over to her maroon ottoman so that she could sit down and pull on her slippers.

"Indeed." He intoned as he made an effort not to stare at her covered chest, which had nearly doubled in size since the ritual (and were apparently painful from Siri's whining to their mother). If Regulus had to guess they must have been a B…

"Can't you talk like a normal kid or are you incapable of doing that simple task?" Regulus moved his gaze from her chest to her eyes in surprise.

"What do you mean, my manner of speech is impeccable?"

"You don't get it do you", She snorted rhetorically, "You talk as if you're attending a Wizengamot trial." Regulus' suppressed flush suddenly became visible, loathing the fact that his social-awkwardness was so obvious – especially to someone as unobservant as Siri whom rarely even registered his presence.

"Dinner is being served, father and mother will be furious if we're any more tardy than we already are." He spoke in a rush, trying desperately to pivot the conversation elsewhere. Siri only rolled her eyes at his obvious attempt, but spoke no more on the matter – a fact Regulus was grateful for.

The Black siblings made their way through the halls and winding stairs of Black Manor in silence, Siri with an uncaring elegance and Regulus with a nervous tension that only waned as he distracted himself with the jet-black ebony of the floors contrasting beautifully with the intricate snake embroidery that lined the walls. It was awkward, but, then again, that might have just been Regulus as Siri seemed entirely unconcerned, even a bit bored.

The dining room contained an ebony table that sat up to thirty persons, seven crystal chandeliers, and a large window that overlooked the lands in which the Black family had owned for centuries. When the sister and brother duo arrived, they were met by an annoyed eyebrow twitch from their mother and an exasperated sigh from their father. Regulus hung his head slightly in embarrassment while Siri jutted out her chin, daring either adult to comment, which, of course, mother did.

"You're both late. This is unacceptable." She looked particularly to Siri, even though it was mostly Regulus' fault for taking so long to retrieve her.

"What are you going to do about it?" Siri challenged, eyes daring their mother to do anything more than she had already done to her. Walburga had been particularly more lenient when it came to punishing Siri, but that doesn't mean she wasn't any less of an authoritarian parent than she had been before.

"Both of you sit, now." Their father, on the other hand, was just as much of a dictator as he had ever been – his confinement to a wheelchair not withstanding. Immediately, both children took their seats, Regulus at his father's right where an heir was expected to be seated (who was sitting at the head of the table as the current Lord Black) and Siri next to their mother, whom sat at their father's left as was the traditional place for the Lady of the House. Almost immediately the Black House-Elves popped in their five-course dinner, the three lower ranked members of the House waiting to eat until Orion himself began to do so.

As most dinners at House Black went, it was reticent; Orion was quiet by nature, Walburga antisocial, Regulus socially awkward, and Siri (the only social one among them) unmotivated to socialize with any of the others. Indeed, no words were spoken nor sounds heard besides clanking silverware until they began their dessert. "Hogwarts will be starting soon, the two of you will be given your yearly allowance tomorrow. Regulus, I expect you to escort your sister while shopping for school supplies." Both Regulus and Siri looked up in distaste at their father's pronouncement (for completely different reasons).

"Must I?" Regulus _loathed_ Diagon Alley, he didn't understand how anyone could possibly enjoy being crushed by crowds of filthy pedestrians, or having to make idle chat with people you absolutely had no concern for nor want to speak to.

" _Escort_?!" Siri hissed in utter disgust and outrage, nearly putting Bellatrix to shame in doing so. This was categorically ignored by the rest of the family – what did she expect, a marriageable young woman of House Black wasn't to be allowed wondering the sordid streets of Diagon _unescorted_.

"I will not negotiate this matter; my word is final." Chewing the last bit of his tart, Orion gently padded his bearded face with a napkin – this is not to say that he had gotten food in his beard, for Lord Black was utterly meticulous in all his mannerisms, including the consumption of treacle tart.

Indeed, no matter how small the task he seemed to be doing, Orion Black managed to make it look like an art – he was, in Regulus' esteemed opinion, the most elegant man to ever live – not to mention manicured. Now in his early 100s, Regulus' father sported a well-trimmed snow-white beard and shoulder-length curls that highlighted his liquid-mercury irises while his stature was as broad and imposing as the day he graduated Hogwarts top of his class. The wheel chair did little to mitigate the utter dominance that Lord Black radiated and Dragon Pox seemed a thing of the past despite the gruffness of his voice and the pallor of his complexion.

"Can't I go with James?" Siri whined petulantly, "I've gone with him for the last four years and I'll be dam…" Regulus' sister suddenly froze at their father's sharp look, which cut off her would-be-curse. Regulus nearly snorted – _why_ did Siri insist on being so utterly… utterly rebellious?

"You will not be in Heir Potter's presence without a chaperone. Your brother will be accompanying you to Diagon Alley so that both of you may collect your school supplies. You will behave according to the rules of etiquette your mother has been instructing you in over the course of these last few weeks. Do I make myself clear?" Father spoke in a low, soft tone, yet the danger in his voice was no less apparent. Siri's lips thinned and she glared at their father intensely, rivalling Professor McGongall while doing so. Father was not deterred in the slightest and stared back at her as calmly as the sea right before the current dragged you under – Siri relented after a short and decisive loss and settled on pouting childishly for the rest of their meal. Regulus refrained from commenting, instead focusing on making himself invisible.

* * *

 **S** iri was annoyed to say the least. It was late August and September first was only a few days away and in accordance to the time of the year, Regulus and she were going shopping for school supplies soon – aka, she was being forced to carry out a mundane task while her kid-brother _escorted_ her. It was an utterly revolting concept from her perspective and she had a whole new understanding of the struggles that vexed womankind. The most obnoxious part of all was that since her gender reassignment Siri had been totally isolated from her friends with exception to James' letters. It would seem that Remus (who had his own problems) and Peter (who was Siri's least favourite friend) didn't know what to do with her at the moment, but she didn't mind as long as James stayed in contact.

And wasn't that a relief, she thought as she straightened out the many layers of silken-robes that witches were expected to wear for decency's sake while she awaited her brother. The transition from male to female hadn't been nearly as bad as she had feared, particularly due to James and (she reluctantly admitted to herself) her mother. James had sent a seven parchment long letter reassuring her immediately after he had read the article about Britain's second Gender Reassignment Ritual. To her great relief, their friendship was stronger than ever and his optimism kept her hopeful for the future as a witch - James' relentless humour that persisted in the countless letters they exchanged also kept her spirits high.

Then (most shockingly of all) was Siri's mother who had been disturbingly helpful with her daughter's transition considering their previous relationship as mother and son. Siri had originally been reluctant to start her lessons for female purebloods but was quickly swayed to studiously attend them when her mother pointed out that her ignorance of said etiquette could have the effect of welcoming unwanted male predators; something Siri was _entirely_ opposed to. Yes, she was bisexual as a wizard and had been with a handful of cute Hufflepuffs in her time, but she had never been submissive. Siri knew _exactly_ what a man would do to get under a witch's robes and she knew _exactly_ what they would do if they did (as she had done so once upon a time).

Therefore, it was with utter reluctance and depressing acceptance that Siri underwent her mother's expedited pureblood lessons geared towards educating her in the ways of a proper lady. To Siri's own amusement, she found that (at least in terms of appearance) she was quickly becoming as prudish as her mother – opting to wear fashion of the more conservative variety and abstaining from make-up and various beauty charms that might attract unwanted attention. That isn't to say Siri was unkempt or ugly for (from an ex-male's perspective) she was _hot_. Had Siri seen her female-form as a male, there is no doubt in her mind that she would have done nearly anything to get a snog, if not more.

The countless marriage proposals sent her parents' way after the _Dailey Prophet_ got a photo of her leaving the hospital was also an ego-boost. Personally, Siri was rooting for the suitor who had sent her a _crate_ of fine elvish wine, but then there were the suitors she'd rather not know about, like a 277 year old from Argentina (which was _ancient_ , even by wizarding standards). However, her parents would _not_ be swayed to let her have any say in the matter. She even noticed her little brother checking her out on occasion (which would quickly result in a stutter and blood rushing to his face, which was somewhat adorable) – Regulus was mature for his age, but he was barely fourteen and was only just beginning to notice girls. Speaking of Regulus…

"I'm ready to depart when you are, Sister." Her little brother grumbled as he came into the entrance hall where she had been waiting. Siri once again took a moment to marvel at Regulus' changes. Perhaps it was her newfound female observance, but she had not failed to notice that Regulus had shot up like a weed over the course of the summer nor did she fail to tease him about his cracking voice as it deepened. He wasn't quite as tall as she was yet (seeing as she had kept her male height of 5'10), but he was getting close and would most likely eclipse her own height soon enough.

"Hmmm…" She hummed as she observed him – he was shy, but no less striking – yet still an idiot in Siri's esteemed opinion, "lets get this over with then." She let out an exasperated huff as she turned on her (admittedly short) heel and through the floo network, intoning 'Diagon Alley, Leakey Caldron' as she strode. Fortunately for her, neither her height nor the length of her limbs changed too much so her balance wasn't hindered to any great extent. Moreover, her height and long limbs combined with her dark beauty to give her a regal strength that Siri enjoyed – it wasn't too far off from her looks as a male, but as a female they were somehow more pronounced.

Green flames suddenly parted and with an uncaring grace she stepped into the dingy establishment that was the Leakey Cauldron - a dozen or so wizards and witches of lower classes (not that Siri cared for such discrepancies – people were people) looked her way as she entered. She shivered at the feel of a greasy middle-aged wizard that raked his eyes over her covered form, but she smirked internally when she saw a familiar seventh year witch blush when they made eye contact; she still had it.

Regulus coming through the floo, looking extremely unenthused to be out in public (particularly among plebeians), brought her out of her thoughts. Regulus was a polite boy, overly so at times, but any type of poverty, illness, suffering, etc. made him uncomfortable to the point that he tended to avoid going out in general. In fact, Siri couldn't quite recall him ever leaving the Manor for any reason other than Quidditch practice. Shaking her head out of the distracting thoughts, Siri nodded to Regulus quickly (acknowledging his presence) before leading them through the entrance of Diagon.

She knew Digon like the back of her hand while Regulus only ever came here to shop for school supplies and (on rare occasions) browse the merchandise at Quality Quidditch Supplies, so it wasn't a surprise for either of them that Siri ended up leading the two through the various stores. _Escort_ , she snorted internally – it would be more accurate to say that _she_ was escorting Regulus, not the other way around. The Black siblings did their yearly shopping in silence – only exchanging words when Siri advised Regulus on supplemental texts for the OWLs he would take the year after next. Overall, however, the trip was uneventful with exception to a few pedestrians that recognized her from the papers, congratulated her on her successful ritual, and complimented her on her beauty. Regulus followed her, brooding all the while.

"Alright, all we have left to do is restock our potions supplies", She turned to Regulus in question. "Or do you need to do anything else?" He shook his head negatively and proceeded to follow her to Bauer's Bubbling Blobs (which sold the best potions supplies money could buy). It was as they were approaching the shop doors of the store when a red blob ran straight into Siri, knocking her back into Regulus (who miraculously managed to steady her). The person who ran into her, however, wasn't so lucky and fell to the ground on their forearms while potions supplies fell to the cobblestone – a jar of fermented flobber worms broke open, releasing a wretched stench.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to…" The person suddenly cut off as she looked up and saw who they were – Siri too froze for a moment, blinking in surprise.

"Evans, well aren't you the little klutz – and here I was thinking that only James tripped around like a drunkard… well, that might only be around you." Siri chuckled (though it unintentionally came out as a giggle) and reached out to help her up, but Evans slapped her hand away, _hard_ , causing Siri to retract it quickly and blink at her in confusion. "What in Merlin's realm was that for?" She asked, completely disregarding common etiquette in the face of Evans' rude behaviour.

Evans got up on her own, looking completely indecent in blue muggle pants with bell like bottoms and a sweater that revealed her belly-button – muggleborns may call purebloods 'Victorian' (whatever that meant), but at least all purebloods didn't dress like they wanted a shag as muggleborns tended to do. Evans once defended her skanky wardrobe by going off about something called 'feminism', but it didn't change the fact that she showed way too much skin – even in winter muggleborns dressed in _tight_ pants. As a boy, Siri hadn't really minded (made getting a date that much easier), but as a witch, she internally scrunched her nose in distaste – Evans _must_ realize that she was just asking for it? Why else did she think that James was so head over heels (aka hard) for her?

However, the clothes weren't the most offensive part of the ginger's ensemble, no, it was a golden _cross_ hanging openly around her neck! Didn't that fool know that was a Christian symbol; a symbol of the very people who had _burned_ young witches _alive_ at the stake, witches like herself?! Most muggleborns got the memo by first year that wearing Christian symbols was akin to putting a target around their head, but it seemed that Evans was stupider than her grades indicated.

"Don't touch me, _Black_." She snapped, saying her surname as if it was a curse.

"Merlin, Evans, I was just trying to help," She reasoned, "You're the one that ran into me anyway".

"I don't need the filthy help of a sinner." She sneered, raking her emerald eyes over Siri's female form in disgust – she looked quite unattractive then; her ginger curls and emerald eyes not withstanding.

Regulus shook his head in shock and confusion, "Evans, what in Morgana's name are you talking about?" Evans did no more than glare at Regulus, clearly deeming him insignificant. Instead she looked up to make eye contact with Siri (who was at least six inches taller than her) and glared with barely held contempt.

"Why don't you ask the _trans_ - _fagot_?" She asked rhetorically, before spinning on her heels and stomping off towards the entrance of the Leakey Cauldron, leaving Siri and her brother utterly baffled.

"What's a tansfoget?" Regulus asked in confusion, having never heard the term before. Siri just shook her head unknowingly, completely flummoxed by the redheaded muggleborn and her behaviour – _Merlin's staff, what did James see in that girl?_

* * *

 **W** alburga sat at the edge of her daughter's sunken bath, her hands gently combing the silken onyx locks of Sigrid's hair as the scent of eucalyptus and mint permeated the air. Sigrid had inherited her father's lustrous quality but had stick straight hair like Walburga herself, which she preferred to tie back into a sleek ponytail. Walburga would have preferred her to wear it up in a more conservative braid or bun, but she allowed her child to do so as the hairstyle brought out her pureblood features and highlighted her strong build. Similar to Bellatrix, her child had a beautiful yet athletic form with long appendages and core with a personality to rival her physical beauty in every way. Yes, the two had differing political views but Walburga approved of her daughter's unwavering spirit and resolve despite this.

Sigrid and Regulus would be leaving for Hogwarts tomorrow morning and this was the last time she would see them until Yule – well, she could meet with them in Hogsmead in the case of an emergency, but it was best for them to develop and become independent while in a safe environment such as Hogwarts. Walburga had spent that morning with Regulus, mostly allowing him to read her the storybooks he so loved – his favourite being the tale of the Peverell Brothers. The afternoon had been spent with both children, ensuring that they were all packed and had their homework done. Now, dusk had fallen and she sat pampering her daughter, something she had never done before.

"Mother, what's a tansfoget?" Sigrid asked suddenly, breaking the rare and peaceful silence between them.

"A what?" Walburga asked with a frown, wondering if she had misheard. Meanwhile, she began massaging the suds into her child's scalp, which allowed Sigrid to relax – her eyes fluttering close.

"A tansfoget, a muggleborn had called me it the other day when I had gone shopping with Regulus – I don't know what it means."

"Whatever are you doing listening to a mudblood?" She asked reasonably, for it was a perfectly reasonable question in her mind. Sigrid sighed softly, as if expecting the response, which she probably was.

"Do you know or not, mother?" Walburga hummed for a moment, thinking back on her school days (which was the last time she had interacted with mudbloods in person with exception to simply passing by them while shopping or other such rubbish).

"I don't recall the term, do keep in mind that mudbloods have such incredibly short lives and by their standards I'm elderly – I'm sure their _slang_ has changed since my youth." Sigrid crinkled her brow in confusion.

"You're only in your 80s, mother, how could that possibly be considered old?"

"Muggles and mudbloods don't have a particularly high life expectancy, I believe 50 or 60 was the average in my youth – I wouldn't know if it has lengthened or shortened since. However, I would like to remind you that this is proof of magical superiority; after all, why would the gods create equals with different life expectancies? One who barely lives to 60 while the other regularly surpasses 200; it's clearly a case of inferior and superior. Hands, child." Her daughter laid her hands in her own and Walburga began manicuring them as her mother had once done for her as a young witch.

"But… muggleborns don't believe in our gods…" Sigrid mumbled softly, barely audible to the human ear.

"No, they do not, which is why they aren't welcomed during the holiday celebrations such as the solstice balls or the equinox festivals – they don't believe in our gods nor do they respect our beliefs. I'll have you know that when I was a young witch a little mudblood dared to call me a demented pagan! Can you believe the nerve of that little…" She grumbled off as she continued to manicure her daughter's nails and hands, "They preach of this dead, weak god who couldn't even save himself from crucifixion and then spurn the very wizards and witches who were their healers, advisors, and teachers. No wonder the filthy creatures ended up nearly perishing of disease and such, they burned the wand that fed them!" Sigrid remained silent for a while and Walburga took this as a good sign, hopefully, the girl would think for once.

Returning her whole attention to her daughter's nails she began gently wiping off the _Calvum Pigmentum_ Potion, leaving the nails a gorgeous Slytherin-green (which her daughter silently scrunched her nose at, prompting Walburga to suppress a smile). "The potion will need to be reapplied in six months time, I left the flask of the potion in the far right compartment of your trunk – next to your undergarments." Allowing a minuscule smirk to crack across her lips she bemoaned that: "Tragically, Brown's Beauty Boutique only had green left in stock, 'tis a pity." Sigrid gave her an unimpressed glare with no heat, before allowing her eyes to flutter close once more, abstaining from rising to her mother's bait for once; who knows, Walburga thought, she just might make a proper lady of her yet.

Over the course of the following hours as dusk slipped into night, Walburga lengthened her daughter's hair to her abdomen with a magical comb enchanted for that very purpose, removed all unwanted body hair with an (admittedly painful) _Capilus Ablatio_ Potion, and administered _Prohibioto Inmaculatos_ Potion mask that would prevent any blemishes or excessive oil on the skin. All in all, by the time the moon was high, Sigrid looked like a pampered lady (if only she would act like it).

In very little time Walburga was helping her daughter dress in her silken night-robes and lay out her silver-grey robes for the following day at the station. It might be a simple affair, traveling to Hogwarts, but it would be the first time Sigrid would encounter her peers as a female so Walburga wanted her to make an impression. Sigrid even agreed to wear the traditional silver band marking her as a daughter of House Black and another Black family heirloom in the form of a delicate black opal necklace with an engraving of House Black's coat of arms. Sigrid put her foot down, however, when Walburga suggested she wear a higher heeled boot – the mother supposed her daughter had a point that she was already tall enough, but, really, another inch or two wouldn't be disastrous.

As Sigrid laid her head down and allowed (read tolerated) Walburga to fluff the comforter and pillows; she was a perfectionist at heart and was also taking full advantage of tucking in her child whom would be an adult by the time she would see her next (not that that would change anything now that she was female). "You packed all your menstrual supplies and books, correct? The _Sanguinem Circuitus_ Potion should prevent most of the negative side affects, but that spell book is also useful in that regards. Healer Yaxley said you should be beginning your cycle soon – if you don't, you will send a letter to me and see Madame Pomfrey immediately."

"We've been over this, mother, and yes, I did pack everything (as _you_ watched me do so earlier today, no less)." She said rolling her eyes in exasperation, "I would also like you to know that for every drop I shed for every cycle I'll ever have will geometrically increase my loathing of you." Walburga snorted, but refrained from commenting further on the matter.

Lady Black moved to speak, but abruptly stopped from voicing her own emotions. She had never been a very emotional, let alone expressive, witch, but she hoped that, deep down, Sigrid knew that not even every drop of blood in her daughter's body could possibly measure the amount of love she felt for her. She so wished that she could express that, but there was too much between them – too much history that time had yet to heal. Therefore, all she could do was give a melancholy squeeze to her daughter's uncalloused, aristocratic hands that were folded above her blankets, just as a corpse would be laid to rest. Walburga silently begged the gods that be that she would be long dead before her own daughter's corpse is laid to rest in such a position – hopefully, whoever her husband may be would ensure it was so.

* * *

 **A/N: Note, I do purposely adhere to female and male stereotypes when I write about Siri's changes after the gender reassignment ritual – I have my reasons for this which will play into the story later on but just so my readers know, I do not support said stereotypes being enforced upon both men and women. There are women with stereotypically male traits and there are men with stereotypically female traits – this is perfectly normal and the concept of 'female and male traits' itself is a social construct. Please do not be offended by said stereotypes for it is not my intention to offend. Siri is still Sirius despite the gender reassignment and I will make this clear as the story continues.**

 **In regards to my use of 'vulva' in the chapter – this is the correct biological term, which is not to be read in a sexual context – just so you know, the 'vagina' is an internal aspect of the female reproductive system, the 'vulva' is the correct term used for the visible external female genitalia.**

 **Siri's full name 'Sigrid' will only be used in formal company (such as by strangers/non-close acquaintances) or in formal settings (such as at the Ministry), the majority of the time she will be referred to as Siri. Both Orion and Walburga will probably refer to their daughter as Sigird, however, this is mostly due to their stiff/stale personalities than anything else. Some may note that Siri didn't receive a star/constellation themed name, however, I'd like to point out that 1) Giving Sirius a whole new name like Virgo would be confusing for readers and 2) Walburga and Narcissa were born Blacks and neither had star/constellation names – it seems that the tradition is not a requirement for females within the family.**

 **Keep in mind that Regulus is only about 14ish in my story, Regulus' little crush is completely childish in nature and I will make it apparent later on that he is simply projecting emotions on Siri as a sort of default as I plan to construct him as a very socially awkward character.**

 **Future chapters will be longer and I plan to update soon - next chapter James enters and Hogwarts begins! I hope you guys enjoyed and I appreciate any feedback, including corrections and suggestions that you may have! So please review!**


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